Tampons represent one product for absorbing catamenial fluid which are used by many women because they are discreet and more portable than sanitary napkins. While tampons are only a couple of inches long, the traditional tube-type applicators add substantially to the length such that the combination may be four or more inches in length. The combination is so long that it cannot be easily carried by a woman in her hand without a portion of it being exposed.
Women prefer tampon applicators formed from molded plastic although many are still formed from rolled paper or cardboard. The plastic applicators include an outer tube containing a tampon or pledget, as it is sometimes referred to, and an inner tube which is designed to be pushed forward into the outer tube to eject the tampon into a woman's vagina. The formation and assembly of applicators with inner and outer tubes, including a mechanism to prevent the user from accidental disassembling the applicator by complete withdrawal of the inner tube, is difficult and expensive.
There are compact tampon applicators on the market today which are shorter than conventional applicators and which telescope prior to use so that initially they are only slightly longer than the tampon which is to be inserted. Various forms of such compact applicators are taught in U.S. Pats. Nos. 4,276,881 issued to Lilaonitkul, 3,101,713 issued to Sargent and 4,676,773 issued to Sheldon. However, these compact applicators are relatively complicated in design and expensive to fabricate.
There is currently a need for a compact tampon applicator which is discreet and can be easily carried by a woman in her hand or purse. Futhermore, there is a need for a compact tampon applicator which is economical, easy to manufacture and assemble and easy to use.
Most tampons are compressed or wound cylinders of fibrous material made from rayon, polyester or cotton. Other embodiments consist of bags of loose fibers or foam particles which are compressed into tampons. Regardless of the material used, there remains a problem with early leakage for the compression step hinders the ability of the tampon to initially expand and provide sufficient surface area for fluid absorption. Therefore, there is a need for a tampon that will be effective in stopping early leakage. This tampon must also be inexpensive and easy to manufacture.